Polian surprised Raiders didn’t use franchise tag

Former Colts general manager and ESPN analyst Bill Polian said Wednesday he expected either tackle Jared Veldheer or right end Lamarr Houston to receive a franchise tag, given the Raiders stated preference for bring back their own players and their room under the salary cap.

The Raiders are presumably negotiating with both players in hopes of having them signed before Saturday, when they can begin fielding offers from other teams. No contracts can be signed before March 11, with the open period giving Veldheer and Houston a chance to assess their value on the market and bring their top offer back to general manager Reggie McKenzie.

“It might have been that the demands of the agents were out of line,” Polian said on an ESPN national conference call. It could be that maybe the cash demands were something they didn’t feel they could deal with or meet. Only Reggie can answer that question.”

Veldheer appeared to be the most likely of the two players to be franchised. Despite Houston’s status as the most steady defensive lineman on the Raiders, it would have been a surprise had they locked themselves in a situation where they paid him $13.1 million for a season on the franchise designation.

“I was a bit surprised something didn’t get done,” Polian said. “But we’re not there yet, too. They could get something done before we hit free agency, and if that’s the case, the question will be answered.”

They got drunk and a fire broke out and cap’n Robert Shaw says, calmly, ‘put the fire out, chief.’ That’s the guy you want as cap’n on your boat.

Scourge of the East

P-man, whatcha watching?!

AutumnThunderstorm

Hopefully Reggie signs Mack to a 4 year 32 million contract, force Cleveland to match or he’s ours.

If we sign Mack, I would be okay with losing Vehldeer, won’t be happy about losing him, but I’ll be ecstatic about our interior OLine.

especially if we sign Wisniewski to an extension

Purvisman/Eternal Optimist

Sup? ScootE? I’ve been trying to pick a fight all day here and I got nothing.

Ron69

The Raiders better sign some good players by tomorrow or this place will burn down to ashes.

Scourge of the East

Why you need to fight?

Purvisman/Eternal Optimist

C’mon now. That’d be “JAWS”

Scourge of the East

It’s been a looonnnggg time since I watched that one.

Purvisman/Eternal Optimist

No cria syndrome, i suppose.

AutumnThunderstorm

Raiders should’ve traded Houston last year for a future Draft pick.

Vehldeer was injured beyond the trade deadline, so we weren’t going to be able to get anything done for him.

This year get Wiz & Denarius to an extension or trade them.

Alex7

PFT has report citing “Significant interest” in Darren McFadden.

Again, all you’re hearing right now is the agents side of things, pre-free-agency, drumming up interest for their players.

DJ Johnny

The “Green Bay Way(c)” is out the window right now. The most notable aspect of this “way” and the one everyone points to is the keeping and developing of their “homegrown” talent.
If Reggie were doing this ‘GB Way’ there is no way in hell Veldheer and Houston would walk. They were drafted by the Raiders and “developed”. It’s like walking into a party and falling face first in the punchbowl. Sure, you can recover, but now u have a big red stain on your shirt for the rest of the party.

GB would not let these guys walk. No way.

disqus_yeZNegncsV

Veld is gone.

Purvisman/Eternal Optimist

It’s always a better movie than I remember. Robert Shaw, et al.

accupolco gold aka elmo

No. Corkrano no how yu say let it suceda. Nunca. No.

Scourge of the East

Ah, so *ss-watching gives you a case of the *ss?

Alex7

it helps if the players want to stay and actually sign the offer. GB’s had a bit more recent success and can do that way a little better.

As every guest “expert” on the radio has reported, by throwing the name “Raiders” into the mix, the agents are trying to up the ante, as everyone knows the Raiders have the most money to spend.

DJ Johnny

Nobody can force a guy to stay, but it comes down to selling the program if all things being equal.
What is it about the Oakland “program” that they want to get away from it so badly? These guys have been here a few years now and it looks like they want out. Why? Like I said if all things being equal.
We don’t know all the details but it is an interesting case study regardless.
Maybe these guys are just greedy jerks. Maybe there are other reasons, but deals should have been done with these guys. Raiders admitted they wanted to keep them so it’s not that. Money? I guess we’ll see if that was really it. The losing? If so they didn’t sell these guys on this being a program on the rise.